True, but it's also important to keep in mind that following the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the US was down to
ONE functioning carrier in the Pacific, the USS Enterprise, and it was significantly damaged: A remarkable repair job while underway (returning to the Solomon Islands) allowed it to stay in action. Fortunately, the Japanese Navy had been severely degraded as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)
Yes, at one point we were down to one carrier. The Big "E" would have been one of the most interesting assignments of the War.
Nimitz decided he needed a fighting admiral if we were to hold at Guadalcanal so he relieved Ghormley and put Halsey in command. It took guts, but he slugged it out with the Japanese even if it meant filling Iron Bottom Sound with wrecks. He stopped the Japanese dead in their tracks even if for a time we only had one operational carrier. Marine morale on the island soared knowing their commander was a fighter and the Navy had their back.